Carrier for store-service.



L. w. CHISM. CARRIER FOR STORE SERVICE; APPLICATION FILED APR. 233 191].

Patented Dec. 31, 1918."-

LOUIS W. CHISM, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE STEEL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF HARFTORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

CARRIER non sronn-snnvrcn.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed April 23, 1917. Serial No. 163,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. CnIsM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Southington, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Carriers for Store-Service, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like' characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to cash carriers for store service, and is more particularly concerned with cover locking and unlocking means. My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended! claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan of acash carrier embodying myinvention:

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same,

partly in cross section, on line 33 of Fig.

1,' show'ing the cover closed and locked; and

Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing in full lines the cover unlocked, and in dotted lines the cover opened.

-Referring to the drawings, and to theernbodiment of my invention which I have selected for illustration, I have there shown a cashcarrier' which in many respects is similar to a well known-type of carrier in common use in connection with store service systems of the cable propulsion type, the

same comprising a receptacle 5 to contain the cash sales slips or otheri articles. In the type of carrier selected for exemplification,

this receptacle is mounted on a base 6, provided with suitable guideways 7 to receive the rails of the tracks. Grippers 8 and 9 operate in a usual and well-known manner to grip the-carrier propelling cable to propel the carrier along the tracks.

In the use of all cash carriers of this general type with which I am familiar, much difficulty has heretofore been experienced owing to the fact that the cover of a carrier will sometimes open accidentally when the carrier is in transit, or under other circumstances. It occasionally happens that one carrier strikes another end to end, or that a' carrier strikes end on against a buffer or some other stationary object, which tends to stop it. Under such circumstances, the body of the receptacle is apt to spring and become distorted momentarily to a suflicient extent to release the locking device, and thuspermit the cover to open under the influence of its spring. In many of such carriers with which I am familiar, the locking devices in common use are more or less unsatisfactory for the further reason that the operation of locking and unlocking the cover is slow and inconvenient. In the carrier which forms the subject matter of my present invention, these and' manyother objectionable features are eliminated by the cover and cover-locking devices which I will now describe.

"The usual opening of the receptacle is provided with a'cover or closurelO, preferably inclosed by the surrounding walls of the receptacle 5 and hinged thereto by means of a hinge-pin or pintle 1 1', the latter being encircled by the usual spring 12, which constantly tends to open the cover in a wellknownmanner. In cash carriers of this type, the cover is usually provided with some sort of locking device, which depends upon engagement with aQlipj or slot facing inwardly with. relation to the wall ofthe -1 ecepta'cle. Carriers so constructed 1 are subect to the accidentalopening to which I have alluded. The reason'for this will be appreciated when it is understood that the striking of such carrier on its end tends to increase the width of the body ofthe receptacle, andunless the locking lip or slot is of considerable depth, the momentary distortion of the receptacle is apt to cause the cover to fly open. 7

In the carrier herein shown, however, the receptacle 5 is provided with a locking lip or lug 13, which faces in an outward direction,

the receptacle tending to increase the Width of the latter simplyserves to engage the locking device all the more firmly, instead the cover 10 itself with an integral lock-f In the present instance,

operating device. tl1is is accomplished by making the cover, or atleast a considerable portion intermediate its opposite. edges, comparatively thin and resilient, so that it shall be susceptible of distortion by the hand of the operator to unlock the cover and permit the same to open under the influence of its spring. In the present example, the cover is provided with a buckling portion 15 having a normal bias toward the closure locking position which is illustrated in Fig. 3, and having provision whereby it may be buckled in an opposite direction to unlock the closure. Thus it will be seen that the closure has provision for expansion and contraction in the direction of its width, or in other Words, it is expan-' sible and contractible in a plane connecting the locking means with the'axis of the cover. This will be evident from an inspection of Figs.3 and4c. I

' A quick, forcible depression of the buckled portion 15 bythe-thumb or fingers'of the operator at the point A'se'rves to carry such portion inward or downwardpast the plane of the marginal portion; of the cover to some such position as that illustrated in Fig.1 4:, thus increasing the width of the cover "to; a suflicient extent to cause the lip l l'to move in an outward direction with relation-to the lip 13, and to release therefrom, whereupon the spring 12 will instantly open the cover. The sudden stopping of the latter will naturally cause the buckling portion 'to resume its initial position with'relat-ion to the marginal portion ofthe cover, readv for thenext closing movement,"but should it happen that such restoration'does not occur automatically, theoperator can readily buckl'e the cover in the opposite direction. The locking of the cover is accomplished automatically by simply closing the same by i suitable'pressure at the point B, it being under-stood that the lips 13 and 14 are slightly beveled as illustrated 'inFigs. 3 and 4, so

that one will snap past the'other into the position shown in Fig. 3. By this means,

the-coveris provided with a locking device which is secure against accidental unlocking dueto the distortion hereinbefore referred to, and the locking and unlocking are efi'ected quickly and conveniently withoutthe use of a separatelocking-device. Y

While I have herein shown and described trated form or embodiment of theinvention may be made, without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by LettersPatent to se} cure is: o

1. A container comprising a body having a catch and a cover hinged thereto having a hook extending outwardly from the edge thereof, said cover having a portion resili: ently bowed between the hinge and hook.

' 2. In a cash carrierfor store, service, the combination of areceptacle and a hinged closure therefor having means tending to open the same when released, said receptacle and said closure having cooperating means normally locking said closure in its closed position and having provision automatically to lockthe same consequent upon closing movement, said closure having a portion which is extensible and contractible in a plane connecting the. locking means with the axis of said closure,- whereby said locking means may be operated by extension and contraction in said plane; 7 f

3.115 a cash carrier *fo'rstore service, the combination of a receptacle and, a hinged closure 7 therefor having means tending to open the'samewhen released,'said receptacle .and said closure having cooperating means normally locking said closure in its closed position and 'havi'ng'provision automatically to lock the same-consequent upon closing movement, said closure being-provided with combination offa receptaclesand a closure therefor; saidclosure being hinged at one v.edgefthereofto said -receptacle,-said closure and said receptacle having cooperating locking means atthe opposite edge of said closure,isaid closure having intermediate said edges a resilient buckled portion providing "for expansion'and contraction of the width of said cover between the hinge and-locking -means, said buckled portion-having anormal bias toward a'closure-locking position.

5. A container comprising a body having a catch'and "ahinged cover comprising a sheetiadapted to close Within the mouth of the body and'having a marginal hook-like extension adapted to extend past the pcriphery of said body and engage the catch from the exterior, said sheet being resiliently bowed between the hinge and the hook.

6. In a cash carrier for store service, the 5 combination of a receptacle and a hinged closure therefor having its edge disposed for the most part within the inner edge of said receptacle, said receptacle and said closure being provided with coiiperating locln'ng means including an outwardly facing part 10 on said receptacle and an inwardly facing part on said closure.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS W. CHISM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. Q. 

